TACA Group opted for the ERJ 190, while Royal Jordanian Airlines converted 195s to 175s. Both orders were already included in Embraer’s third-quarter backlog.
TACA Group will be acquiring 11 ERJ 190s with options for another 15 aircraft in an order valued at $379.5 million and could reach $897 million, if all options are confirmed. The new aircraft of the TACA Group will be configured with two classes and will accommodate 96 passengers – eight in executive class and 88 in economy. Deliveries are planned to begin in the second half of 2008. As of September 30, 2007, the ERJ 170/190 family of E-Jets had logged 712 firm orders and 756 options, totaling 1,468 aircraft. During this period, Embraer delivered 292 E-Jets to more than 37 customers in 25 countries on five continents, which have accumulated over 900,000 flight hours.
Royal Jordanian, the first operator in the Middle East to fly the 175 in regular scheduled service, converted two ERJ 195 jets from its original order into two ERJ 175s. In March 2006, Embraer signed an original purchase agreement with Royal Jordanian for seven ERJ 195s. The airline has already received four aircraft, three of which through a leasing agreement with GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS). The fifth and last 195 will be delivered by the end of this year.
“Royal Jordanian’s decision to add the ERJ 175 to its fleet of E-Jets is a perfect example of the rightsizing and flexibility concept, which we have addressed with this aircraft family,” said Mauro Kern, Embraer executive vice president, Airline Market. “By selecting a smaller model of the family for routes that require less capacity, Royal Jordanian will enjoy the benefits of high commonality with its ERJ 195, in terms of pilot and mechanic training and spare parts, while at the same time lowering its cost per trip.”
The ERJ 175s will be deployed on key domestic and regional routes, complementing Royal Jordanian’s fleet. The aircraft will be configured in a dual-class layout, with 72 seats – 12 first-class and 60 economy. The first delivery is scheduled for May 2008.
In separate news, Northwest took delivery of Embraer’s 300th E-Jet last week at Embraer’s São José dos Campos headquarters. The aircraft, an ERJ 175, will be used by Northwest subsidiary Compass Airlines and is part of a year-old order from Northwest for 36 ERJ 175 jets for the newest Northwest Airlink. The aircraft are configured in a dual-class layout with 76 seats – 12 first-class and 64 coach. This is the fifth E-Jet incorporated to the airline’s fleet, since the first ERJ 175 was delivered last July.
“We are pleased to receive this milestone aircraft, adding it to our highly reliable fleet of ERJ 175s,” commented John Bendoraitis, president of Compass Airlines. “Our team is committed to providing the highest level of service and dependability to our customers.”
“The E-Jets family is showing itself to be much more than airplanes destined merely for regional carriers,” said the manufacturer, in a bit of a put down to the airlines that built the success of the company.
Northwest Airlines will be the first operator of the ERJ 175 AR version – an extended range variant scheduled to be incorporated in 2008, which will open the way for the airline to serve additional markets.